


Dream of me

by stargatesarah



Category: Stargate SG-1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:22:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28955661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatesarah/pseuds/stargatesarah
Summary: With Sam & Jack having finally been given the go ahead to pursue a relationship, a life changing event may end their relationship before it even starts.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: Stargate Winter Fic Exchange 2020-21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TriStarRebel09](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriStarRebel09/gifts).



I just want you to be happy, those were the words that echoed round her mind after her father died. She didn’t know it at the time but those words would set off a chain of events that would lead to this moment, Samantha Carter, standing in her bedroom, panicking about what to wear. Tonight was her first official date with General O’Neill or Jack as he constantly reminded her to call him which she thought was ironic considering he constantly still called her Carter. Flinging another outfit on her bed in an exasperated huff, Sam debated calling Janet for some moral support but after checking her alarm clock and realising if she didn’t get dressed shortly she’d be late, she relented and put on the first outfit she tried and initially dismissed the first time round.

Grabbing her keys, Sam headed out to her car. Jack wanted to pick her up but she’d insisted on meeting him at the restaurant he’d chosen, she remembered he muttered something about her stubbornness being endearing but really she’d been so nervous when they finally set a date that she’d completely disregarded his need to be the man. They’d chosen a small italian restaurant on the edge of town, knowing that it wasn’t likely to be full of base personnel like O’Malley’s always was. Flicking on her radio to take her mind off what might happen that evening, Sam continued on at the lights, what she didn’t see was the truck coming on her left that had jumped the lights. She vaguely registered the lights of the truck before the impact, after that, everything went black. 

After downing one beer to calm his nerves, Jack briefly considered another before thinking better of it, he was driving after all. Despite offering to pick Sam up, as usual she’d stubbornly refused his attempts at making himself look gentlemanly. Knowing she was almost certainly as nervous as he was, he decided not to push her and agreed to meet at their chosen restaurant. Sitting down in his favourite chair, he took a moment to appreciate that they'd finally made it this far. After Jacob’s death, Sam had decided that they were her future. She’d ended her engagement to the douchebag, he’d decided long ago he was too immature to say his name and he’d had a failed relationship ended as well. Despite the fact they’d known each other for 9 years, this new level in their relationship definitely still felt a little awkward although he hoped their date tonight would go some way to easing that. Pulling himself up, Jack slung on his jacket and headed out into the crisp Colorado air towards his truck and hopefully, his future.

Pulling up at the restaurant, Jack was surprised to not see Sam’s car already there, she was never late and considering he was bang on time it was a little strange. Shrugging off any concern, he simply put it down to her being nervous, she was probably changing outfits he chuckled to himself. Pleased that the waiter had heeded his request, he took a seat at the table in the corner of the restaurant, away from prying eyes and studied the menu whilst waiting for Sam to arrive. Checking his watch after the waiter had asked for the second time if he wanted something to drink, Jack was finding it hard not to panic. Sam was now 30 minutes late, something she never did and she hadn’t even called to let him know. He wasn’t sure if he was panicking more that she’d stood him up or that something had happened to her, his fears were answered when he looked up from his cell to see Daniel rushing into the restaurant.  
“Where is she?” asked Jack, immediately standing up and grabbing his jacket.  
“Car accident, on her way here. Janet’s heading to the hospital now” gasped Daniel, desperately trying to get his breath back.  
“Let’s go,” ordered Jack.  
Driving to the hospital in silence, Jack’s mind began to wander about what he might find when he got there. Daniel didn’t know anymore than he’d already told him and Janet wouldn’t be able to update them until they got there. When they finally arrived, the nurse on the front desk directed them to a waiting room which Jack anxiously paced up and down, unable to remain still. The lack of news frustrated them both but knowing Janet was there at least went some way to easing Jack’s frustration. After what felt like forever, Janet finally joined them in the waiting room, the look of sadness on her face had Jack slumped down in a chair before she even began to speak.  
“Is she alive?” he whispered.  
“She is but it’s not good Sir” replied Janet as she went and sat beside Daniel. “Sam sustained a broken leg and arm on her left side as well as severe bruising across her abdomen”  
“That’s not so bad?” said Daniel, looking hopeful.  
“She also sustained a severe head injury from the impact with the truck” replied Janet  
“Well?” asked Jack, “what does that mean?”  
“She’s in a coma Sir” said Janet, tears following freely, “I really don’t know if she’s going to make it through this one”

Jack sat back in his chair and let Janet’s words sink in, coma…..Sam’s in a coma. That was all he could think about. Suddenly jumping up in anger, he shoved his chair across the room.  
“How can she be in a god damn coma?” he yelled, “she was on her way to meet me, if she hadn’t been so stubborn and let me drive, this never would’ve happened”  
“Jack, this isn’t her fault” said Daniel calmly, “or yours” he added quickly as Jack shot him a dark look.  
“And getting angry won’t help Sam” Janet told him, “she needs you to be there for her more than ever” Slowly sitting back down, Jack placed his head in his hands, both Daniel and Janet looked at him sadly, they knew how long he and Sam had waited to be together and now it looked like fate might pull them apart again.  
“What happens now?” asked Jack, sitting back up, the soldier in him kicking back in.  
“She’ll stay here tonight and then I’ll have her transferred back to the SGC in the morning. You can go and see her if you want?” asked Janet.  
Jack wasn’t sure he had the strength to be there for Sam right now but Janet was right, Sam needed him more than ever, there was no way he was going to let her quit on him before they’d even had a first date.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking slowly into Sam’s room, Jack was momentarily taken aback by the amount of wires attached to Sam and the various machines surrounding her bed.   
“Oh Sam” he whispered as he sat down in the chair beside her bed, “why didn’t you let me drive you?” He gripped her hand tightly before leaning forward to talk to her again, “I’m going to be right here with you through all of this, I still expect that first date” As promised, Janet had Sam moved back to the infirmary in the SGC the following morning, she’d sent Jack home from the hospital to get some rest, fully aware that she’d have a hard time keeping him off base once Sam was there. Unsurprisingly, she’d found him waiting in the infirmary when they brought Sam back in.  
“General, you’re going to need to wait here until Sam’s sorted and comfortable” instructed Janet. He simply nodded in return, not trusting himself to not lose the control he’d fought so hard to maintain.  
When Janet finally allowed him into Sam’s room, which was just off the main infirmary near Janet’s office to afford her more privacy. Jack was pleased to see Janet had already placed a chair by the side of her bed. The room was eerily quiet except for the hissing sound of the ventilator helping Sam to breathe, initially panicking when he saw it, Janet was quick to explain that with the severity of her injuries, anything they could do to give her body a chance to heal was a good thing. 

Captain Samantha Carter reporting for duty…….  
Just because my reproductive organs are on the outside……..

It’s just my sidearm I swear…..it’s good to know I’m so well protected Sir…….

Sir, just go…….

There’s no fish in this lake, is there? I can’t believe we’re finally here, sitting on the dock at his cabin, the very same cabin he’s been trying to get me to visit for years. I can’t say I’m not disappointed that it took my Dad’s final words before he passed for me to sort my life out but it was so hard to know whether or not he felt the same way as me. Last night, well, wow, yep he definitely does feel the same and christ it's such a relief. 

“Sir, you understand this could be a lengthy recovery for Sam?” asked Janet as she performed her usual checks on Sam’s condition.   
“Sam’s strong, she’s going to get through this, quicker than anyone thinks” he added, his eyes not leaving Sam’s face.  
“I’m in complete agreement Sir but I just want you to realise how serious this is”   
“Doc, she’s gunna make it” I really hope so thought Janet as she walked away. Jack continued to sit silently for a while before he spoke again.  
“Carter, if you can hear me, I’m not giving up on you so I don’t expect you to give up on me”

I can’t believe how long we waited to do this, well let’s not dwell he replied, casting his line into the empty pond. Where do we go from here? I can’t go back to the SGC if you’re still my CO? We’ll work it out, he promised.   
Area 51 is everyone I hoped and more, all this tech stuff and I’m finally dating the man I’ve been dreaming about for years. Typically I should have known it wouldn’t last, Mitchell keeps bugging me, something about getting the team back together. I’ve told him no but Jack reckons I might not have a choice. We’ve fought so hard to get here and now it might be over before it’s barely started. That first date, wow. I remember it like it was yesterday, the amazing Italian restaurant he picked, just on the edge of town, far enough to not be full of base personnel. To be fair, it wasn’t the meal I enjoyed the most that night it was the rest of the evening, most of the night and some of the following morning. 

“Any change?” asked Daniel as he joined Jack in Sam’s room, handing his friend a coffee which he gratefully accepted. Jack shook his head as he sipped the steaming liquid, he hadn’t slept since they’d brought her in the previous day and he knew it was only a matter of time before Janet either kicked him or sedated him.  
“You know, I read somewhere that people can sometimes still hear when they’re in a coma, you should talk to her. It might help” added Daniel.  
“What do I say?” grumbled Jack, “here’s what you could have been doing if you didn’t end up in a car wreck?”  
“Well I wouldn’t lead with that” replied Daniel. They continued to sit in silence, neither really sure what to say to each other, Jack was so lost in his thoughts he barely noticed Janet coming in to run her regular tests.  
“General, you need to get some rest, I can make it an order if it helps?”  
“I’ll stay with Sam,” offered Daniel. Slowly standing up, Jack squeezed Sam’s hand before nodding at Daniel.  
“Call me if there’s any change” he ordered before leaving them alone.  
“He’s not taking this very well is he?” asked Janet as she sat down opposite Daniel in the chair Jack had just vacated. “They waited so long to be together, I can’t believe it might never happen” said Janet, visibly upset.  
“Hey, you know as well as I do that Sam would never quit that easily” soothed Daniel “and you’re the best Doctor around”  
“Thanks Daniel”  
“Why don’t you get some rest as well? I’ll be here until Jack comes back anyway and Teal’c is outside so she won’t be alone” Janet smiled weakly at Daniel before casting her eyes over the various machines attached to her friend before heading back to her office.  
“Come on Sam” sighed Daniel, “you know Jack never listens to anyone but you.

I haven’t admitted it to him, but Jack was right. Rejoining SG1 was a good decision and it hasn’t had an effect on our relationship. It helps that only Daniel and Teal’c know but we decided just to keep it between us, even though it’s not against the rules, it probably go isn’t a good idea to rub it in everyone’s faces. Having said that, apparently we’re not top of the base betting pool anymore, it seems that Daniel and Vala have managed that. Pretty sure Daniel would rather be with Janet but it’s certainly fun to listen to rumours about someone other than yourself once in a while. Jack and I haven’t seen each other in over a month, he’s finally due to fly into Colorado for the weekend. I've planned nothing other than a weekend in bed - a girl's got needs after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite heading to his quarters to sleep as Janet had ordered, Jack had spent the last few hours staring at the ceiling from his position on the bed, unable to get even a few minutes sleep. His mind just wasn’t able to switch off, constantly running over the events of the last few days. He so badly wanted Sam to be here, laying next to him. He didn’t even care if they just laid there together, although he certainly wouldn’t complain if sleep wasn’t on her mind. God he missed her so badly, her voice, her smile, the one she only gave him and no one else. From the moment she walked into that briefing room all those years ago and challenged him to an arm wrestle, shit that was hot. He knew right then he was in trouble although it wasn’t until those damn Tok’ra armbands that he really realised just how much trouble he was in. It was comforting to know that she felt the same way but leaving it in that stupid room was probably one of the worst ideas ever and it came from Sam. They both knew that was the right thing to do, SG1 could never have continued and both of them could have been reassigned or even lost their commissions. Sighing heavily, Jack contemplated asking Janet for some sleeping pills but deciding he’d rather not give her the satisfaction, he went back to letting his mind wander in the hope that he might just eventually pass out. 

Wow, just wow. That’s about all I can say about this weekend, it was everything I expected and more. I mean, I knew Jack was caring, deep down beneath that steely soldier exterior but holy crap, he really knows his way around a woman and I am a lucky woman. Like all good things though, it was over too soon, he needed to return to Washington and I had to get back to work at the SGC. Despite telling me going back was the right thing, Jack isn’t quite so keen on the idea since he heard about the Ori threat. 

Feeling no more refreshed than before he retired to his quarters, Jack splashed some water on his face in a poor attempt at waking himself up before heading back to the infirmary.   
“Any change buddy?” Jack asked Teal’c as he entered Sam’s room.  
“I am afraid not O’Neill but Doctor Fraiser wishes to speak with you” Jack acknowledged the request and headed over to Janet’s office, knocking lightly as he entered and took a seat in front of her desk.  
“You don’t look particularly rested” commented Janet.   
“I tried” replied Jack, “so what was it you wanted to speak with me about?”  
“I’m going to try and take Sam off the ventilator today, her stats are looking good and I think she’ll be able to breathe without it. I thought you might want to be there?” Janet asked him.  
“Is that a good idea?”  
“All the scans indicate her brain injury is healing, I’m confident she can breathe on her own and it’s certainly a step in the right direction”   
“Okay Doc, when are we doing it?”  
“How about now?” asked Janet, as she stood up and walked round her desk. Jack took a deep breath and followed the Doctor back towards Sam’s room. Noticing Daniel had fallen asleep in the chair next to Sam’s bed he gave his friend a gentle nudge.  
“I wasn’t sleeping” mumbled Daniel as he straightened his glasses and rushed to stand up.  
“No one’s checking” laughed Jack, “the Doc reckons Sam can breathe on her own now, so she’s going to take the tube out”  
“Is that a good idea?” asked Daniel.  
“Who’s the Doctor here?” asked Janet in exasperation. 

Jack watched with his heart in his mouth as Janet disconnected the breathing tubes and gently pulled them out of Sam’s throat. All three of them cautiously watched the monitors and openly breathed sighs of relief as Sam continued to breath well on her own.  
“Do you think she might start to come round soon?” asked Jack, as he took his regular spot in the chair by her side.  
“Actually, she did briefly. I was waiting to see how she did without the ventilator before I told you” replied Janet. Both Daniel and Jack stared back at Janet with their mouths agape.  
“I’m sorry she what now?!” exclaimed Jack.  
“That’s amazing,” cried Daniel.  
“There’s still a long way to go” replied Janet, “some coma patients can wake up quite quickly, others can take quite a while. There’s no telling which Sam will be” Jack sat back in chair, not quite able to believe what Janet had told him, was she really going to come back to him?  
“I’ll leave you alone for a bit, I’ll be in my office if you need me” said Janet as she got up to leave with Daniel following her out.  
“If you can hear me Sam, hurry up and come back” he told her, squeezing her hand gently. Suddenly realising how tired he was, he rested his head on the side of her bed and fell asleep instantly.

Jack awoke to the sound of a groan, sitting up faster than he intended, a set of blue eyes briefly looked at him before closing again.  
“Sam? Sam, are you awake?” Getting no answer, he jumped up and ran towards Janet’s office, yelling at the top of his voice.  
“General! Stop shouting in my infirmary!” barked Janet.  
“She looked at me” replied Jack, unable to hide his joy. Janet smiled back as she followed him back towards Sam’s room, she truly hoped for his sake that all would be well when Sam finally came round. Entering the room they both saw Sam looking back at them, she had a look of shock on her face and Janet quickly moved to her side to reassure her.  
“Sam honey, it’s me Janet. You had an accident and now you’re at the SGC”   
“I’m where?” she replied, her voice weak and croaky. Janet and Jack looked at each other with concern before Janet spoke again.  
“The SGC Sam. Do you know who I am?”  
“I don’t know who either of you are”

“Do you know your name?” asked Janet, trying her best to keep her voice devoid of the emotions currently running through her right now.  
“Samantha Carter”  
“Do you recognise where you are?” asked Janet gently. Sam looked around the room before slowly shaking her head.  
“What happened to me?” she asked, her voice starting to wobble.  
“You’re at the SGC infirmary, it’s a secure medical facility, you actually work here”  
“You’re a Colonel in the United States Air Force” added Jack.  
“Do I know you?” asked Sam, staring at him intently, “you look familiar” Before Jack could answer, Janet held up her hand, gesturing for him to stop.  
“Sam, I’d like you to try and get some more rest and then we can talk again okay?”  
“Kay” mumbled Sam, clearly grateful to be allowed to sleep again, her eyes closed before she’d finished speaking. Janet left her room and motioned for Jack to follow her into her office.


	4. Chapter 4

“What the hell was that?” asked Jack angrily as he paced the short space in the Doctor’s office, “why didn’t you let me speak when she asked if she knew me?”  
“Sir, it’s likely that Sam is experiencing some form of memory loss from the head injury she sustained. Overloading her with detail and making her panic would be detrimental to her recovery right now”  
“But she will recover right?”  
“The fact that she thought you were familiar is a very good sign but we mustn’t rush her, she needs to remember things in her own time”  
“So what are we supposed to do?” asked Jack in exasperation.   
“Be there without piling on the pressure, encourage her to remember but not put the ideas in her head” replied Janet. “Why don’t I talk to her again first and take it from there?” she suggested. Knowing he didn’t have much choice, Jack begrudgingly agreed to go and get coffee while Janet spent some more time with Sam.

Sam was stirring again as Janet walked into her room, giving her a warm smile, she took a seat beside her and waited for to wake up.  
“Hey, how are you feeling?”  
“Can I have some water?” Janet smiled again before grabbing the cup by the side of the bed.  
“Just a few small sips to start” Janet told her, holding the cup to her mouth.  
“What happened to me?” asked Sam, as she laid back down in the bed.  
“You were in a car wreck, a pretty nasty one as well. You broke your leg and arm as well as extensive bruising across your abdomen”  
“None of that should affect my memory though?”  
“You’ve been in a coma Sam, you had a severe brain injury” replied Janet with a look of sadness.  
“Oh” was all Sam could manage in response and Janet could see she was clearly struggling to process what had happened to her.  
“Get some rest Sam, I’ll come back and check on you shortly” Janet looked at her friend, her heart was breaking for her and there was nothing she could do about it.

Sam sighed loudly as she watched the Doctor walk away, something about her reminded her of a memory she had but she couldn’t quite put the pieces in her mind together. The man who had been here earlier was strangely familiar but she couldn’t work out why. Closing her eyes again, she felt a lump in her throat, she felt so alone. Even her name sounded strange, Samantha Carter, United States Air Force. Who was she? Willingly her mind to remember she drifted off to sleep again.

“She doesn’t remember you at all?” asked Daniel, as he sipped his hot coffee. Jack, Teal’c and Daniel had gathered at their favourite table in the commissary as they discussed the latest development in Sam’s recovery.  
“Apparently I look familiar”   
“And?”  
“And that was all she said Daniel before Janet kicked me out, she doesn’t want us to overload her” replied Jack grumpily.  
“Does Doctor Fraiser believe Colonel Carter’s memory will return?” asked Teal’c.  
“Maybe, she wasn’t exactly specific on that part”  
“So what are you doing sat here?” asked Daniel, “shouldn’t you be there talking to Sam?”  
“And what if she doesn’t remember me? What’s the point?”  
“Seriously? Is that what you think?” asked Daniel incredulously. “I think Sam would be pretty disappointed to know you gave up that easily on her” Jack threw him a look that suggested he should stop but Daniel carried on anyway.  
“So is that it? Are you done? After getting this far you’re just going to walk away?”   
“Just leave it Daniel” growled Jack.  
“I’ll talk to her then if you won’t” Daniel replied as he got up to leave.  
“Knock yourself out” gestured Jack, not bothering to look up.  
“O’Neill, do you not believe your presence will help Colonel Carter?”  
“How am I supposed to talk to her if the Doc says we can’t force her to remember?”  
“Perhaps your presence will be enough?”  
“I don’t think it’s that simple buddy”  
“How do you expect her to remember you if you do not wish her to see you? I believe it is just a matter of time and patience O’Neill” Teal’c got up to leave and turned to speak to Jack again.  
“Do not miss your chance again O’Neill, you have fought for a long time” Jack watched Teal’c leave and sighed heavily to himself, he knew they were both right but the thought of losing Sam again was proving hard to handle, what if she never fully remembered who he was and what they could have had? Like Teal’c had said, they’d fought so hard and waited so long to get to where they were, did they really deserve to lose it all again?

Daniel stood at the door to Sam’s room, she was resting with her eyes closed but he was pretty sure she wasn’t asleep, the crease across her forehead suggested she was struggling in her own mind.   
“You know, it doesn’t matter how hard you try, you can’t force the memories” Sam abruptly opened her eyes and watched as Daniel walked in smiling at her. She could see the apprehension in his face yet something told her this was someone she knew.  
“You’re my friend aren’t you?” she asked as he sat down beside her.  
“I am” he replied excitedly, unable to prevent the huge grin crossing his face.  
“Don’t suppose you remember my name?” he asked her hopefully. Watching her, he could tell she was trying her hardest to remember him, a look of sadness crossed her face when she realised she couldn’t recall his name.  
“I’m Daniel” he replied hurriedly not wanting to lose the moment.  
“Jackson!” she exclaimed, a big grin forming across her own face.  
“Yes!! I’m Daniel Jackson, we work together” he told her.  
“Here?” she asked, “yes, we’re on a team together”  
“I’m your friend she repeated” suddenly looking tired. Not wanting to push her any further, Daniel gave her hand a squeeze before standing up to leave.  
“Will you come back?” she asked tiredly, her eyes fighting to stay open.  
“I’ll be right here when you wake up Sam”

Daniel was dozing lightly when Janet joined him in Sam’s room a little later on, giving him a gentle nudge as she checked the various monitors, she couldn’t help but grin at him as he straightened his glasses.  
“Sam remembered me”  
“Really? Well that’s fantastic” replied Janet, whispering so as not to disturb Sam, “what did she say?”  
“She knew my last name and said I was a friend”  
“Why do you look so disappointed?” asked Janet.  
“Because if Jack finds out he’s going to be pissed, he’s having a hard enough time as it is with the fact she doesn’t remember them”  
“Maybe but I think this is good thing, the memories are there we just need to help her unlock them”  
“Any ideas?” asked Daniel  
“I might just” replied Janet with a sly grin “but you need to get the General onboard”  
“Lucky me” replied Daniel rolling his eyes.  
“Once Sam wakes up I’ll let you know” Janet told him before heading back to her office.  
“Sam, if you can hear me” whispered Daniel as he lightly squeezed her hand, “Jack needs you more than ever”

“Why does she need me?”  
“I’ve no idea, perhaps because Sam trusts you the most, knows you the best?” replied Daniel, trying his best to retain what little patience he had left. After finally tracking Jack down in his office, he’d had little success in trying to convince him to come back to the infirmary with him. Considering how difficult Jack was being, he’d momentarily thought about telling him Sam had known who he was but he’d decided he quite liked his life right now.  
“Look, Janet thinks she knows how we can help Sam unlock her memories but she needs you to be there. If you won’t do it for me, will you at least do it for Sam?” pleaded Daniel.  
“Fine” huffed Jack “but this is on you Daniel if she doesn’t want to see me” replied Jack as he got up and headed to the infirmary.  
“God he’s insufferable sometimes” muttered Daniel as he jogged out of Jack’s office to catch up with him.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack walked slowly into the infirmary, apprehensive about what he might find. Looking over to Sam’s room he could see Janet in there and a wheelchair had been positioned at the end of the bed. He’d decided to hang back and wait for Janet to come out when Daniel came barrelling through the infirmary doors which caused Janet to turn and catch sight of them both.   
“General, Daniel” she said acknowledging them as she left the room and headed over, “I’m glad you're here, Sam’s almost ready”  
“Um, for what?” asked Jack as he tried to peer over Janet’s shoulder to see what Sam was doing.  
“You two are taking her out for a bit”  
“What about Teal’c?” asked Daniel, “shouldn’t he be here as well?”  
“I’ve asked him to wait a bit longer before visiting, I think Sam will experience enough without adding in our resident alien” Seeing the expressions on both Jack and Daniel’s faces was priceless and little bit of her longed to have Sam back to share these moments with.  
“Relax gentlemen, all you need to do is wheel her round the base and show her things that might help her remember. Think you can handle that?” Both of them nodded vaguely at her which she decided to take as a yes. “Wait here and I’ll bring Sam over” she ordered before taking the wheelchair into Sam’s room and closing the door.

“Do you think this is a good idea?” asked Jack as he finally regained his voice.  
“I don’t see why not” replied Daniel, “listen Jack, there’s something I need to tell you” Before Daniel could finish his sentence Sam’s voice carried across the infirmary.  
“Hi Daniel!”  
“Crap” muttered Daniel as Jack threw him a very angry glare.  
“You still look familiar,” said Sam to Jack as Janet stopped in front of them.  
“This is General Jack O’Neill Sam, remember I told you about him? The General and Daniel are taking you on a little tour” Sam nodded as she looked between the two men, they could both see the frown forming across her face as she tried to figure things out.  
“Call me if you have any concerns,” ordered Janet, “and Sam, just let the guys look after you okay?” Janet watched as Jack carefully pushed Sam out as Daniel held the doors open, god I hope this works she thought to herself. Sighing loudly, she straightened her uniform and headed back to her office. 

“Where to first then Sam?” asked Daniel, “we could head to your lab?”  
“God no” interrupted Jack, “that's enough to make anyone forget their mind. If we’re going to do this, then we’re doing it properly” he ordered.  
“Jack, where are we going?” asked Daniel worriedly as he once again had to jog to keep up.   
“Are you sure this is a good idea Jack, I mean, it’s quite a lot to take in for anyone seeing it for the first time”  
“I told you Daniel, we’re doing it properly. Now go into the control room and when I give you the signal, dial it up”  
“Fine, but if this goes wrong, you can get to explain it to Janet”

Jack pushed Sam along to the doors and paused for a moment.  
“You okay?” he asked  
“I think so” she replied  
“Is any of this familiar to you?”  
“Maybe….I don’t really know to be honest. It kinda all looks the same”  
“That’s definitely true” laughed Jack, “but this is very different” He swiped his access card and waited for the door to open before pushing her through, hearing her gasp he quickly knelt down beside her, realising she was shaking he grabbed her hand.  
“Sam? What’s wrong?”  
“I don’t know, I can feel something” she replied, her voice shaky.  
“Do you want me to call the Doc?” She shook her head and tried to calm herself down.  
“Turn it on” she whispered.  
“Sam?”  
“Please, turn it on” Jack looked up at Daniel and motioned for him to dial the gate, staying on the floor beside Sam, he silently hoped his knees would forgive him the next day. Watching as the gate spun, he could feel her tightening her grip on his hand. As the wormhole formed he glanced at her, expecting her to jump in surprise but she remained still, her eyes focused on the blue shimmering light.  
“My skin, it feels like it's tingling all over, that’s…...that’s the naquahdah” Jack turned and stared at her in surprise.  
“Sam?”  
“I remember” she whispered, “I remember you” Jack stared at her, willing himself to see life in her bright blue eyes, suddenly he was aware of how nervous and vulnerable he felt.  
“Jack”  
“Oh god Sam” he cried, wrapping his arms tightly around her, they stayed that way for a few minutes before a small groan escaped Sam’s lips.  
“Are you okay?” he asked  
“I’m better than okay, I remember us”  
“Are you sure, because you look very pale and Janet will have my ass if anything happens to you” replied Jack.  
“Oh she’s going to have your ass” laughed Sam before quickly frowning and closing her eyes, “my head is pounding” Jack looked up at Daniel who clearly looked like he’d rather not be in the control room randomly dialing gates and gestured for him to shut down the gate.  
“Call Fraiser” he ordered before kneeling back down beside Sam who looked like she was ready to pass out.


	6. Chapter 6

“Sir, I specifically remember telling you to be careful” grumbled Janet as she knelt down beside Sam.  
“Sam, what’s wrong?”  
“My head is killing me Janet” The Doctor looked up at Jack in shock who nodded back with a huge smile on his face.  
“Sam, are you...you?” asked Janet.  
“I think so but please can you give me something for my head? I told Jack he’d be in trouble” she mumbled with a smile.

Jack followed Sam and Janet back to the infirmary with a mixture of emotions flowing through him. On one hand he was grateful Sam appeared to be back but on the other, the thought of having so nearly lost her scared the hell out of him and he knew that was something he didn’t want to go through again.  
Watching Janet help Sam back into bed Jack felt a slight pang of jealousy that it wasn’t him helping her into bed, instead he settled for watching from afar.  
“That should kick in shortly Sam” said Janet as she reconnected her IV and injected some painkillers into it. “So, are you?”  
“Me?” replied Sam wearily, “I think so, when I entered the gateroom, my whole body felt strange almost as if my skin was tingling and for some reason I knew it had something to do with the gate. When it activated it was almost as if my whole body had a shock and then everything suddenly came flooding back”  
“Wow” replied Janet.  
“Tell me about it”  
“Still, I can’t say I’m not glad to have you back” said Janet as she squeezed her friends hand, “and there’s someone out there who is definitely very glad to have you back”  
“I’m guessing he didn’t handle it very well then?” asked Sam.  
“About as well as can be expected, shall I let him come in?” Sam nodded and smiled warmly at her friend.

“Are you okay?” asked Sam as Jack slumped down in the chair beside her bed.  
“Surely I should be the one asking you that?” he laughed, before his smile turned into a frown.  
“Seriously though, do you….are we?”  
“I think I might love you Jack O’Neill. Does that answer your question?” He didn’t respond with words, he simply leant down and kissed her gently on the lips.  
“Does that answer yours?”

Sam spent the next week recuperating in the infirmary before Janet allowed her to go home. As per usual the rest of SG1 planned to accompany her and were all under strict orders from Janet to not let Sam lift a finger. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t long before they were slowly all recalled to duty leaving only Jack around to look after Sam, she was pretty sure he’d organised it but she certainly wasn’t going to complain. 

“Coffee m’lady” grinned Jack as he opened the bedroom door carrying two steaming mugs of coffee.   
“Ready to go and get that cast off this morning?”  
“More than you know, although I wish they were both coming off” she replied ruefully.  
“You know Janet would take it off if she could and besides, you get me waiting on you hand and foot”  
“I suppose there are some benefits” she replied, pulling him in for a kiss. A small groan escaped Jack’s lips as Sam nibbled lightly on his ear.  
“As much as I’d rather stay here and do this, Janet will have my ass if I don’t bring you in on time”  
“And we both know that ass is mine” grinned Sam as she gave it a playful slap. 

After leaving Sam with Janet, Jack headed back to his office to find Daniel and Teal’c waiting in the briefing room for him.  
“What can I do for you two this morning?”  
“You’re very cheerful today” replied Daniel, “what’s going on?”  
“Can’t a man be happy?”  
“Well yes but with you it usually means somethings going on that’s all” replied Daniel.  
“Perhaps O’Neill and Colonel Carter have engaged in sexual relations?”   
“Woah Teal’c, too far buddy. So what do you two want?” asked Jack, swiftly trying to move the conversation away from the direction it had taken.  
“We need you to come back to P3X-279 and lead the negotiations for mining rights” replied Daniel.  
“Really? You want me? Surely you can handle that with SG11?” asked Jack.  
“You’d think” said Daniel, “but apparently they want our leader to talk to their leader”

Jack strolled into the infirmary a few hours later to find Sam dozing on one of the infirmary beds, minus a cast on her arm.  
“Hey”  
“I thought you were asleep”  
“I can hear you coming a mile away” teased Sam, “catch up on any reports whilst I was here?”  
“Ha, that knock on your head must have affected your sense of humour. Actually, I need to go on a mission”  
“Really?” asked Sam, sitting up.  
“Is that going to be okay? I won’t go if you don’t want me to?” asked Jack.  
“No it’s fine” said Sam quickly, “you can’t be with me all the time”  
“I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can”  
“When do you leave?”   
“This afternoon, are you sure you’ll be okay? asked Jack.  
“Of course, Janet will keep an eye on me and besides, she cleared me for light duty today so I’ll probably just spend the time in my lab” Knowing forwell Sam would almost certainly overdo it if left to her own devices, he vowed to have a word with Janet before he left.


	7. Chapter 7

Standing in the control room, Sam felt a stab of jealousy in her chest as she watched her teammates waiting at the bottom of the ramp, ready to go through the gate. As the wormhole formed, Jack turned and smiled before following Daniel and Teal’c through.   
“Well” said Sam to no one in particular, guess I’d better go and find something to do she thought to herself. Slowly hobbling back to her lab, Sam secretly wished Jack was there to push her in the wheelchair, she didn’t think she’d ever get to grips with using crutches. When she finally made it to her lab, she was so exhausted, she collapsed onto the small sofa Jack had secretly added more for his use than hers and fell into a deep sleep. 

Sam was vaguely aware of someone shaking her, brushing them off she mumbled something incoherent and tried to stay asleep.  
“Sam, wake up”  
“Go away” she muttered, trying to roll over.  
“Sam, you need to get some food” Suddenly realising she was no longer asleep or on her own, Sam furiously blinked her eyes in effort to wake herself up. Looking up from her position on the sofa, she found Janet nervously staring back at her.  
“How long have you been here Sam?”  
“Since the guys left”  
“That was 4 hours ago!” exclaimed Janet, “get up, you need food and somewhere more appropriate to rest”  
“Has it really been that long?” asked Sam as she hauled herself up and took the crutches from Janet.  
“Yes! I leave you alone for 5 minutes and look what happens, you’re coming home with me tonight” ordered her friend, “but first, a late lunch”

As promised, Janet took Sam home with her mainly in order to make sure she didn’t overdo it rather than the fact her leg was still in a cast.   
“This is great, why don’t we do this more often?” asked Sam as Janet came and joined her on the couch after clearing up from dinner.  
“Maybe because you’re too busy making out with hot General’s?” teased Janet.  
“Hey!” exclaimed Sam as she playfully elbowed her friend, “and there was me thinking it was because you were getting busy with a certain archaeologist?” This time it was Janet’s turn to elbow Sam back before turning rather red.  
“So it is true?! I was just teasing but I think we need to have a little heart to heart” Sam told Janet, as she shifted herself to get more comfortable. “Honestly, you spend a little time in a coma and the whole world changes”  
“Well, the base grapevine needed something to gossip about since you and Jack finally got your act together”

Sam studied her friend as she animatedly talked about her blossoming relationship with Daniel, since her accident she hadn’t really taken the time to reflect on what had happened and listening to her friend it all suddenly hit her.  
“Sam, are you okay?” asked Janet with concern, tears had unexpectedly begun to fall and she simply collapsed into Janet’s arms. Waiting until the sobs had subsided, Janet leant back and looked at Sam.  
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” asked Janet as she mentally checked her over.  
“No I’m not in pain, it’s just...everything sort of hit me just then when you were talking about Daniel”  
“I wondered how long it would take” replied Janet, “that’s partly why I wanted you to stay with me tonight until Jack gets back tomorrow”  
“How do you mean?”  
“Sam, what you went through was huge and that’s ignoring the memory loss. I don’t think you realise how close we came to losing you” Giving Sam a few minutes to compose herself, Janet got up and came back with coffee for them both.  
“Drink this and then I’m getting you safely into bed, I’m not going to lie, you look terrible”  
“Gee thanks Janet” replied Sam sarcastically, “usually I’d argue but I’m exhausted so I guess I’ll let you have that one” Smiling warmly at her friend, Janet gently helped Sam get into bed.  
“If you need anything, just shout”  
“Thanks Janet, for everything,” added Sam.  
“That’s what friends are for” replied Janet, leaving Sam to settle into a deep sleep. 

Knowing Sam would want to be there when Jack and the rest of SG1 returned, Janet and Sam headed back to base as soon as they were up the next morning.   
“I want you back here for lunch with me” ordered Janet as she left Sam in her lab, “no more passing out for 4 hours, okay?”  
“Yes ma’am” replied Sam with a cheeky grin.  
“Too much time with General O’Neill” muttered Janet as she headed off back to the infirmary leaving Sam smirking as she set about finding something to do in her lab.

“Knew you’d forget the time and miss lunch” commented Janet as she walked into Sam’s lab later that day.   
“Really? It’s not that late is it?” asked Sam, looking at her watch.  
“It’s nearly 3pm Sam” sighed Janet, don’t you at least feel hungry?”  
“I guess I do now you’ve mentioned it, just got a little caught up in these experiments”  
“Well better late than never, let’s go” replied Janet as she turned to leave.  
“Wait!” shouted Sam, “Jack and the others were due back this morning, they’re late”  
“Yes” replied Janet slowly, instantly not liking the direction the conversation had headed, “but I’m sure it’s nothing”  
“I need to see if they’ve made contact” said Sam as she left her lab and headed to the control room.  
“You need to eat” muttered Janet, “but don’t worry, I’m just your Doctor telling you that” she told herself as she followed Sam.

“Sgt, when were SG1 due back?” asked Sam as she entered the control room.  
“They were due back 4 hours ago Colonel, I was just about to try making contact” replied Sgt Harriman. Sam nodded for him to try and stood waiting impatiently with Janet hovering by her side. After multiple attempts to make contact, Sam finally ordered the gate to be shut down.  
“Try again in 1 hour and contact me if you have anything” she ordered before turning to leave.  
“Sam, you wouldn’t be thinking of doing anything stupid now would you?” asked Janet as she followed her out.  
“Of course not” replied Sam, rather quicker than she was intending. Doing her best not to make eye contact with her friend, she excused herself and headed straight back to her lab.

“Say Daniel, next time you tell me I’m needed for negotiations, I will shoot you” groaned Jack as he sat up rubbing his head. They’d been in the middle of an argument about mining rights when the tell tale blinding white light of Goa’uld shock grenade had filled the room.  
“Remind me not to ask” muttered Daniel in response as he too tried to sit up with his head pounding from the movement. 

Okay Sam thought to herself, there’s no way Jack would miss his return time and not make contact unless something had gone wrong. The logical part of her reminded her that she should assemble one of the other SG teams and send them through to investigate but she almost laughed at the thought. There was no way she wasn’t going to go and find her guys, the only problem at that point was the rather large cast on her leg which made her largely immobile without her crutches. Debating whether she could convince Janet to remove it for her without actually telling her the reason why she needed it off her leg, Sam eventually realised the only way it was coming off was if she removed it. Cursing loudly at the situation, she grabbed the sharpest tool she could find in her lab and set about the tedious task of cutting through the plaster. 

Frustrated at how hard it actually was to cut through, Sam tried to distract herself by planning her mission. She mentally ticked off the things she needed including a zat gun and radio. Figuring they couldn’t have gone that far from the gate as it wasn’t a particularly long mission, she was pretty sure she could travel light and wouldn’t need to bring a pack. Noticing she was finally almost done, she stopped to admire her handiwork before realising there was someone standing behind her. Slowly swivelling round on her chair she came face to face with a very angry looking Janet.  
“Colonel Samantha Carter, just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed, anger evident in her voice and Sam noted, quite clearly written across her face.  
“Um, funny story”  
“Really? Perhaps you could enlighten me as I have a suspicion you’re about to do something even more stupid than what you’re currently doing?” she replied, her arms firmly crossed in front of her. 

“Over my dead body” yelled Janet after she’d listened to Sam explain why she was removing her cast.  
“Janet please, I need to go”  
“I’m having a hard time seeing why Sam, you’ve barely been back on duty and your leg was still in a cast until 5 minutes ago”  
“Janet you know why I need to go, please don’t try and stop me” pleaded Sam, “honestly, my leg isn’t that bad” she stated as she stood up and was pleased not to show the pain that shot through her leg.  
“Firstly, I know you better than you think and I like to think I’m a pretty good Doctor so I can tell when your lying and secondly, I’m not going to stop you”  
“Sorry, what?” exclaimed Sam in shock.  
“I’m not going to stop you because I’m coming with you”  
“Is that really a good idea?” asked Sam.  
“Do you want to go or not?” replied Janet, “because if I don’t go with you, you’re not going anywhere”  
“Fine” huffed Sam, “but I don’t want a lecture when I tell you my leg hurts later okay?”  
“No I’ll just whip out the big needles” grinned Janet, “come on, let’s go rescue our boys”


	8. Chapter 8

As Sam expected, they didn’t need to walk far from the gate before coming across a large building surrounded by smaller huts.  
“Well this is cosy” commented Janet.  
“Daniel did say there wasn’t much here, he suspected they were just using the location for the meeting so I guess it makes sense” replied Sam, grimacing slightly as they waited for a moment before entering the building.  
“Leg hurts doesn’t it?”  
“Maybe”  
“I would say I told you so but I don’t think it’s worth it” replied Janet.  
“I promise as soon as this is over I will stay in the infirmary until you say I can leave”  
“I know you will but it won’t be because you want to, it will be because I’ll make you!” replied Janet with a slight smile.  
“Well let’s get this over with, I’m guessing they’re in that building somewhere” said Sam as they slowly made their way over. Searching the building took longer than they expected, the guys were nowhere to be found. Finally coming to what looked like a doorway that led underneath the building, Sam took a deep breath and hoped they would find them on the other side. The door opened onto a long passageway which slowly sloped down, carefully making their way down; they were both pleased to see it didn’t go far and flattened out into a long corridor with doors either side.  
“This is too easy” commented Sam as they started checking behind the doors.  
“Don’t complain, this is how I like it” replied Janet, “you guys get way to much excitement for me”

Sam and Janet made their way slowly through the corridor, the eerie quietness had Sam on edge, this was too easy she thought as they carefully checked each room as they went past. Just as they were about to check the last door the sound of a staff weapon activating filled the air, slowly turning around they came face to face with a nervous looking villager pointing the weapon at them.   
“Stop there or I’ll shoot”  
“We’re just here for our friends” replied Sam calmly, “we aren’t here to cause trouble”  
“I’m not allowed to let you leave”  
“I’m going to keep looking, whatever you say” Sam told him as she turned around.   
“I said don’t move” yelled the villager, visibly shaking.  
“Maybe we should do as he asks?” said Janet in an effort to calm the situation. Having clearly had enough, Sam pushed past Janet at the same time as the villager discharged the staff weapon. The force of the blow pushed her back into Janet as she screamed out in pain.

“What was that?” asked Jack, pulling himself up.  
“What was what?” asked Daniel wearily.   
“I heard a scream”  
“I did too, O'Neill” replied Teal’c, “I also heard the sound of a staff blast”  
“You don’t think it’s one of ours do you?” asked Daniel in concern. One of ours was exactly what Jack thought, in fact he knew exactly who was on the other side of that door. Banging hard to get their attention Jack hoped he wasn’t too late.

Janet crumpled to the floor with Sam on top of her, looking up in shock at the villager, he simply muttered an apology and dropped the staff weapon before running off. Gently laying Sam down, panic set in at the situation before she heard someone banging loudly on a door behind them. Running towards the sound, Janet tried the door before realising it was locked.  
“General? Is that you?”  
“Yes!” yelled Jack in response, “what the hell is going on?”  
“Sam’s been hit, I’m going to find something to open the door” Janet yelled back in response. Frantically looking around for something to break the door with, Janet’s eyes quickly settled on the staff weapon, grabbing it she ran back to the closed door.  
“General, stand back” she yelled before firing the weapon. Watching what was left of the door fall to the ground as Jack barged through left Janet’s heart in her mouth, she could see from the expression on his face that his only concern right then was Sam. She ran over to her friend with him and knelt down beside her.

The moment Jack burst through the door, his eyes scanned his surroundings for Sam, it didn’t take him long to find her, unmoving on the floor. Running over and falling down beside her as the Doctor joined him, he couldn’t think of a single reason for them to ever be apart again, he silently vowed that if she made it, he would leave it all to be with her forever.  
“Doc, what do you need me to do?”  
“Get the gate open” ordered Janet as she opened Sam’s tac vest to check the damage, visibly relaxing she looked up at Jack in relief.  
“Whoever shot her was not a good aim, he hit her shoulder. She’s by no means safe but this could have been a lot worse” Despite not quite sharing Janet’s enthusiasm, Jack did allow himself to relax slightly, his mind had been spinning since he heard the scream and he had certainly feared the worst.  
“Teal’c, will you take Sam? Daniel, you and I will clear the way and open the gate” he ordered. “Doc, can we move her now?”  
“Yes, let’s go. The sooner I can get her back the better, have my medical team standing by” Daniel took off whilst Jack watched Teal’c carefully scoop Sam up as Janet rested her arm across her chest to protect the wound in her shoulder. A pang of jealousy hit him, he wanted to be the one that carried her home but the rational part of him knew Teal’c was the better choice and all that mattered right now, was getting Sam safely back as quickly as possible.

Coming through the gate last, Sam was already on the way to the infirmary as Jack slowly walked down the ramp, both Daniel and Teal’c were waiting for him at the bottom.  
“Ready to go and find out how Sam convinced Janet to remove her cast?” asked Daniel in an attempt to lighten the mood.  
“I do believe Doctor Fraiser will be suitably angry regarding that” replied Teal’c.  
“Yep, Sam is definitely going to pay for that” smirked Jack, “come on, let’s go find out how she’s doing”

As usual, the remaining members of SG1 hung around outside the infirmary, for some reason it seemed fitting, almost cathartic. Thankfully they didn’t have to wait long before a weary looking Janet emerged.  
“News?” asked Jack as the three of them stared expectantly at the diminutive Doctor.  
“She’ll be fine at least until she wakes up, then I’m going to make sure she never defies my orders again” replied Janet with a small smile.  
“That’s good to hear Doc”   
“Great news” exclaimed Daniel as Teal’c merely nodded in acknowledgement.  
“Give me half an hour to get her settled from the surgery and you can visit” Janet told them as she headed back through the doors.  
Jack sat slowly down in a chair, finally letting the situation sink in, before looking up at Daniel and Teal’c.  
“We’ll stop by later, you should get some rest though” added Daniel before he and Teal’c left a very tired General to contemplate his future.

When Janet finally allowed him into the infirmary, Jack stood for a moment in the doors as he looked across at Sam. She looked so pale and vulnerable laying in the bed, hooked up to various machines, he could see her leg was back in a cast and her left arm was heavily strapped up. Sighing to himself as he slowly walked over, he wondered how many more times they’d get away with things like this before their luck ran out. Noticing she was beginning to stir, he picked up her free hand and gave it a squeeze before sitting down next to her.  
“Jack” she croaked as she slowly opened her eyes and scanned the room before settling on him.  
“Hey Sam, how’re you feeling?”  
“Sore. Water?”  
“Here” he replied, as he guided the straw to her mouth and watched as she gratefully sucked on the cooling liquid.  
“Better?” he asked, as he set the cup down and took her hand in his once again. She nodded, content to remain still as she watched him.  
“So, wanna tell me why you removed your cast and came to look for me without suitable backup and not to mention the fact Janet hadn’t even cleared you fit for duty?”  
“I can’t lose you” was all she managed to say.  
“What about whether or not I can’t lose you? Because I’m pretty sure that’s twice I’ve come close to it recently” Watching as a tear slipped down her face, any hope he had of reprimanding her promptly evaporated, quickly standing up he leant over and gently pulled her into a hug.  
“Oh Sam” he whispered softly in her ear, “promise you’ll never leave me?”

“Janet I swear I will sit at home and not move”  
“How on earth will you do that if you’re on your own Sam? In case you hadn’t noticed, I replaced the cast on your leg!” exclaimed Janet, her hands firmly placed on her hips in defence.   
“Anything I can help with ladies?” asked Jack as he strolled over to the two very irate women.  
“I was just reminding the Colonel here about the promise she made to remain in my infirmary” answered Janet.  
“Well perhaps I could help, Carter needs round the clock help and as of now, I’m officially retired so perhaps she can come home with me?”  
“Sir?” replied the both of them in unison.  
“You retired?” asked Sam.  
“Yep, I did and I’m pretty sure I’m your only way out of here” grinned Jack.  
“Since you’ve become my most stubborn patient, you’re welcome to go home with the General but you lift a finger and you’re back here, are we clear on that?” ordered Janet.  
“Crystal” replied Sam with a smug grin.  
“Honestly, you’ll be the death of me Sam” grumbled Janet as she headed back to her office to sort out Sam’s discharge from her infirmary.  
“So you really retired?” asked Sam.  
“I did”  
“Because of me?”  
“Yes and no but I hope you’ll be a big part of my retirement, if that’s what you want?” replied Jack nervously.  
“Only if you learn to cook more than just beer omelettes!” laughed Sam, “now how about we get out of here before Janet changes her mind?”

“So when do I get to take you on that date?” asked Jack one morning after he’d gotten Sam settled on the sofa. They’d quickly gotten comfortable in each other’s presence, something Jack attributed to the amount of time spent together off-world.  
“I’d love to but in case you hadn’t noticed, Janet won’t take this thing off till next week” Sam answered, pointing at the rather large cast still on her leg. “I’m pretty sure she put this huge one on just to make a point”  
“Well for what I had planned, that won’t be a problem” winked Jack. “Just be waiting in the bedroom at 8pm okay?”  
“Should I be worried?” asked Sam with a smile, “because the look on your face suggests maybe I should!”

Doing as she was asked, Sam found herself sat on the end of the bed just before 8pm later that day. Jack had been ominously quiet for the rest of the day and had disappeared off shortly before 7pm leaving Sam with strict instructions to remain in the bedroom until 8pm. Having given up trying to listen through the door, Sam had gone back to waiting impatiently on the bed. Just when her curiosity had got the better of her and she was going to take a look through the door, she heard a knock. Expecting Jack to let himself in Sam didn’t bother to move, when he knocked again harder she begrudgingly hauled herself up to open the door. Gasping at the sight on the other side, Sam took a moment to look him over. He was dressed in a full suit, freshly shaven and clutching a bouquet of red roses.  
“Wow” was all Sam managed to say.  
“These are for you” replied Jack, passing her the flowers.  
“These are beautiful” she murmured, as she inhaled their scent. Looping his arm around her waist he gently guided her towards the deck.  
“Close your eyes” he whispered.  
“Is that really a good idea?”  
“I can make it an order?”  
“Not anymore you can’t” she replied smugly but she did it anyway, they both knew she’d do pretty much anything he asked.   
“Open them” Doing as instructed, Sam opened her eyes and was taken aback by the sight in front of her, the deck was decorated with fairy lights and the table was laid in front of her.  
“Jack...did you do this?”  
“Welcome to our first date”


End file.
